WASHINGTON: The Lok Sabha elections in India provide Pakistani-based and indigenous Indian militants a “good occasion” to carry out another26/11-style attack, a prominent US thinktank said on Wednesday.

The Islamic militants, who had targeted to strike during the popular IPL cricket matches next month, would now find out another target to carry out another Mumbai-type terrorist attack.

“The ongoing election campaign could very well be one, said Stratfor,” an Austin, Texas-based private intelligence company, well known worldwide for its intelligence analysis.

“Shifting the IPL tournament to South Africa gives the Indians more forces to secure the country for the national elections, but this does not necessarily mean that the threat level during this time period has subsided,” said Stratfor.

“The elections still provide Pakistani-based and indigenous Indian militants a good occasion to target politicians, government buildings, and voting booths — to say nothing of the usual soft targets like crowded marketplaces, movie theaters, hotels or religious sites,” Stratfor said in its latest intelligence analysis on India.

“Given the jihadist insurgency also intensifying along India’s western frontier and Pakistan seemingly losing control of its militant proxies, another major Islamist attack in India is inevitable,” Stratfor warned.

“The Mumbai attack exposed Indian security forces’ lack of preparedness and coordination, causing a major uproar in the South Asian country,” it said.